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The X Factor
X factor is a TV show made for all the family. It was created by Simon Cowell. The judge's are Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole. It is hosted by Dermot O'Leary. The X Factor will return for a sixth series in August 2009; all 4 judges are expected to return. X Factor presenter Dermot O' Leary is expected to return. Holly Willoughby is confirmed to be returning to The Xtra Factor, despite rumours of Zöe Salmon taking over as host. The first round of producers' auditions for series 6 took place at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester on April 18 2009, with an estimated crowd of up to 10,000 turning up. Previous '''Sharon Osbourne (series 1 – 4) is a British music manager and promoter who became a noted television personality after appearing in reality TV show The Osbournes. She has also appeared as a judge on America's Got Talent. Her husband Ozzy Osbourne is the former singer with heavy metal band Black Sabbath. She has been in the music industry since she was 15. 'Brian Friedman '(series 4, London auditions only) is an American choreographer who has worked with some of the best-known performers in the music industry, including Britney Spears. Current X Factor Judges 'Simon Cowell '(series 1 – present) is an English artist-and-repertoire ("A&R") executive and television personality/producer, best known as a judge on such TV shows as Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent. He is also the owner of the television production and music publishing house Syco. Cowell is notorious as a judge for his unsparingly blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults and wisecracks about contestants and their singing abilities, or lack thereof. He is often parodied in pop culture. He is known for combining activities in the television and music industries, having promoted singles and records for various artists, including television personalities. He most recently featured in the eighth season of American Idol and the third series of Britain's Got Talent. 'Dannii Minogue '(series 4 – present) is an Australian singer and songwriter and occasional actress, model fashion designer and TV personality. Minogue rose to prominence in the early 1980s for her roles in the Australian television talent show Young Talent Time and in the soap opera Home and Away, before commencing her career as a pop singer in the early 1990s. She has released five studio albums to date, and is also a judge on Australia's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance Australia. 'Louis Walsh '(series 1 – present) is an Irish music manager, who has managed Girls Aloud, Westlife and Boyzone. Walsh's first television work was in 2001, in the Irish version of Popstars. The following year Walsh appeared as a judge on the UK ITV show Popstars: The Rivals with Pete Waterman and Geri Halliwell. Walsh went head to head with Waterman on the show with his all-girl band Girls Aloud battling it out with Waterman's boy band One True Voice. Girls Aloud won and their debut single "Sound of the Underground" reached #1 in the UK. Under Walsh's management the band achieved a million single sales while their debut album went platinum. Walsh also regularly appears on various talent shows on RTÉ in Ireland, the latest being You're A Star: "You look like a star, you sound like a star... you are a star". 'Cheryl Cole '(series 5 – present) is a member of the British girlband Girls Aloud. She became a judge on the show in 2008. She used to be married to the Chelsea and England football player Ashley Cole. Boot camp and visits to judges' houses The contestants selected at audition are further refined through a series of performances at "boot camp" (held at a venue such as a country hotel or an arena), and then at the "judges' houses", until a small number eventually progress to the live finals (nine in series 1 and twelve in series 2–5). Judge Louis Walsh revealed in November 2007 that the houses the contestants visit do not actually belong to the judges, but are rented for the purpose. During these stages, the producers allocate each of the judges a category to mentor. In early series this allocation took place after completion of the auditions and prior to boot camp, but from series 4 all four judges have worked together at the boot camp. They collectively choose 24 acts (6 from each category) for the next round, and only then find out which category they are to mentor. The judges then disband for the "visits to the judges' houses" round, where their six acts are reduced to three for the live shows. The Xtra Factor The Xtra Factor is a companion show that airs on digital channel ITV2 and on TV3 Ireland on Saturday nights. It features behind-the-scenes footage of The X Factor and shows the emotional responses of the contestants after the judges comment on their performances. Cameras follow the finalists during their day, and some of the footage is aired in a spin-off show The Xtra Factor: The Aftermath, which is broadcast in the middle of the week on ITV2. The Xtra Factor: Xcess All Areas is a live show in which there are interviews, games and trips around the contestants' homes. The show also lets viewers know which songs the contestants will be singing in the next live show. The Xtra Factor was hosted up to series 3 by Ben Shephard. The voiceover on series 1 to 3 was Peter Dickson. Shephard did not return for series 4 after being upset at not getting the main ITV presenting job, and Fearne Cotton took over as host, for the fourth series only, before leaving the show to concentrate on her career in the US. Allegations of a falling-out with Simon Cowell were also reported.33 For series 5, Cotton was replaced by presenter and close friend, Holly Willoughby. Willoughby first presented The Xtra Factor on 9 August 2008, a week before series 5 began airing. The first show recapped on series 4 of The X Factor and revisited the series 4 finalists. The X Factor Live The X Factor Live is a live show that tours the UK and Ireland in the new year, following the conclusion of the TV series. It features an array of finalists and other memorable contestants from the most recent X Factor series. The X Factor: Battle of the Stars '''The X Factor: Battle of the Stars was a celebrity special edition of The X Factor, which screened on ITV, starting on 29 May 2006 and lasting for eight consecutive nights. Pop Idol was meant to air in its place as Celebrity Pop Idol but was stopped shortly before transmission, when ITV picked The X Factor over it. Nine celebrity acts participated, singing live in front of the nation and facing the judges of the previous The X Factor series, Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Voting revenues were donated to the celebrities' chosen charities. The contestants were Michelle Marsh, Nikki Sanderson, Matt Stevens, Lucy Benjamin, Gillian McKeith, Chris Moyles, Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, James Hewitt and Rebecca Loos, and "The Chefs", a quartet of celebrity chefs comprising Jean-Christophe Novelli, Aldo Zilli, Paul Rankin and Ross Burden. The winner of the show was Lucy Benjamin, mentored by Louis Walsh. It was reported on 26 August 2006 that Simon Cowell had axed the show, describing it as "pointless" and adding "we are never going to do it again". Live shows The finals consist of a series of two live shows each Saturday evening, usually with one act eliminated each week. These live shows are filmed at The Fountain Studios in Wembley, London. In the first few weeks of the finals, each act performs once in the first show in front of a studio audience and the judges. Acts usually sing over a pre-recorded backing track, though sometimes live musicians and backing singers are featured. Dancers are also commonly featured. Acts occasionally accompany themselves on guitar or piano (or mime an accompaniment), though almost always over a backing track. In the first two series acts usually chose a cover of a pop standard or contemporary hit. In the third series an innovation was introduced whereby each live show had a different theme (for example, Motown), thus increasing the show's similarity to the Pop Idol format. This format continued during the most recent fourth and fifth series. The contestants' songs are chosen according to the theme, and a celebrity guest connected to the theme is invited onto the show. Clips are shown of the guest conversing with the contestants at rehearsal, and the guest also performs in the later results show, immediately before the results are announced. (See the series 3, series 4 and series 5 articles for a full list of themes and guests.) In series 1, much was made of the idea that each performer/mentor combination was free to present the performance however they wanted, including the performer playing live instruments, or the addition of choirs, backing bands, and dancers. Future series placed less emphasis on this element. After each act has performed, the judges comment on their performance, usually focusing on vocal ability, image and stage presence. Heated disagreements, usually involving judges defending their contestants against criticism, are a regular feature of the show. Once all the acts have appeared, the phone lines open and the viewing public vote on which act they want to keep. In the results show, screened an hour or so later, the two acts polling the fewest votes are revealed. Both these acts perform again in a "final showdown", and the judges vote on which of the two to send home. In earlier series the bottom two contestants reprised their earlier song, but in series 5 they were able to pick new songs. Ties became possible with the introduction of a fourth judge in series 4. In the event of a tie the show goes to deadlock, and the act who came last in the public vote is sent home. The actual number of votes cast for each act is not revealed, nor even the order; according to a spokesman, "We would never reveal the voting figures during the competition as it could give contestants an unfair advantage and spoil the competition for viewers".14 In series 3, a twist was introduced in one of the live shows where the act with the fewest votes was automatically eliminated, and the two with the next fewest votes performed in the "final showdown" as normal. Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four (series 1 and 3) or five (series 2, 4 and 5), the format changes. Each act performs twice in the first show, with the public vote opening after the first performance. The second show reveals which act polled the fewest votes, and they are automatically eliminated from the competition (the judges do not have a vote; their only role is to comment on the performances). In series 1 the acts also reprised one of their songs in the second show. This continues until only two (series 1 and 3) or three (series 2, 4 and 5) acts remain. These acts go on to appear in the grand final which decides the overall winner by public vote. In past series some of the worst or most bizarre failed auditionees from the early rounds have also returned for a special appearance in the final. Post X Factor The winner of the competition is awarded a recording contract, stated to be worth £1 million, with Syco in association with Sony BMG. In series 5, this deal consisted of a £150,000 cash advance with the balance covering the costs of recording and marketing. Other highly placed contestants may also be offered recording deals, but this is not guaranteed. In series 1–3, the premise of The X Factor was that the winner would be managed in the industry by their mentor on the show. With music executive Cowell and managers Osbourne and Walsh as judges/mentors, any of the three would be qualified to do so. Following the appointment of singer Dannii Minogue as a judge in series 4, the same principle could not universally apply. In fact, when Minogue won series 4 with Leon Jackson, a new, outside manager was appointed. It is still believed that if Cowell or Walsh wins a future series then they are entitled to manage their act in the industry. In series 1–2, the winner's debut album would be released a few months after their victory in the show. The album would contain some new material but would consist largely of cover versions. This format changed with series 3 winner Leona Lewis. Simon Cowell, Lewis's X Factor mentor and newly-appointed manager, said: "We could have gone into the studio for a month, made the record quick, and thrown it out. It would have been the wrong thing to do." The success of Lewis' debut album Spirit ensured that the debut albums of future series winners (with Jackson as an example) would consist more of new material than of cover versions. Guest judges Paula Abdul (series 3, guest judge during auditions) is a Grammy Award-winning American pop singer, dancer, two-time Emmy Award-winning choreographer, actress and television personality. She is also a judge on American Idol, which also stars Simon Cowell. Ratings and awards Viewing figures of around ten million were claimed for series 2 and 4, and eleven to twelve million for series 5. Over three million public votes were cast in the series 2 semi-final, and six million in the first part of the final. The series 3 final attracted eight million votes and 12.6 million viewers.25 The series 4 final drew 12.7 million viewers – a 55% share of the terrestrial TV audience. In series 5, 12.8 million tuned in to see the 29 November 2008 show featuring guest Britney Spears, a new X Factor record. The series 5 final peaked with 14.6 million viewers. At the British Comedy Awards 2005, The X Factor beat Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway to take the award for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme, prompting Simon Cowell to remark "We're not a comedy programme, we're a serious factual drama".28 The award was presented by Ricky Gervais. In both 2005 and 2006, The X Factor won the award for "Most Popular Entertainment Programme" at the National Television Awards. At the same awards in 2007 the show won the "Most Popular Talent Show" category. Series 1–3 judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh were present to receive the awards. The show has rated highervague than its BBC 1 counterpart.needed It rates as ITV's most popular programme whilst it airs, and is the first format (along with Britain's Got Talent) in years to knock Coronation Street off the top. The programme has typically been an awards show favourite, having been crowned "Best Talent Show" for two years. However, it has more recently lost out to Strictly Come Dancing at the TV Quick Awards, TRIC Awards and National Television Awards, all in 2008, despite overtaking it in the ratings. Contestants In series 3, one boyband, called Avenue, were accused of cheating. It emerged that they already had a management deal with music mogul Ashley Tabor, who reportedly hoped to use the show in order to publicise the boys. It was also revealed that one of the members, Jamie Tinker, once had a recording contract with Simon Cowell's recording company SonyBMG, though this was judged not to be against the rules of the show. The boys later lost their places in the final 12, though they insisted that they were not cheats. During series 4 the producers discovered that Sisi Jghalef, a member of six-piece girl group Hope, had a criminal conviction in contravention of the show's rules. Sisi was asked to leave, and Hope, who had already been selected as finalists, continued as a five-piece. Later in series 4, 15-year-old Emily Nakanda pulled out of the show after being discovered in a "happy slapping" video, in which she apparently attacked another girl. Both her mentor, Sharon Osbourne, and her family were said to be upset with her behaviour. She was given the option of leaving of her own accord or being forced out, and she chose to withdraw. The lowering of the minimum contestant age from 16 to 14 in series 4 attracted criticism from some quarters. Groups such as the Family and Parenting Institute expressed concern that children of this age might be not be sufficiently emotionally robust to cope with the experience. The minimum age has been put back to 16 for series 6. After the second audition episode of series 5 had aired, Simon Cowell vowed to make changes to the show by reducing the emphasis on contestants' "sob stories", conceding that they had been "out of hand" in the previous series and viewers were "starting not to believe them". Series 5 auditionee Alan Turner was later criticised in the press for allegedly lying to the judges in his original audition. Turner had told the panel that he had been fostered since the age of four, did not know his real parents and had been sexually abused aged four, but his father and uncle publicly disputed the claims.58 Producers vowed to stand by the hopeful, who had been put through to boot camp, insisting that his place on the show was "never in jeopardy". Meanwhile, Turner insisted that the show's editing had made him appear dishonest.60 His mother later claimed that her son had made false claims which had "hurt her beyond belief".61 In one episode, Simon Cowell was shown to have asked Alan face-to-face whether his story was true, and was satisfied that indeed it was. Ultimately, however, Turner would be eliminated at the final stage before the live shows. Category:Browse